The Love of a Bounty Hunter ON HOLD!
by Pixie Moon Angel
Summary: Well, here's another story by moi. This one's Lita centered mostly. Okay, here's the story. Lita's a bounty hunter and she's being hired to do a mission for the G-boys. But how do Quatre and her know one another? And what does he have to do with her life?
1. Chapter 1

Okay, this is just an idea I've had for a few days now and I just wanted to try it out. I think that I'm going to start waiting for 5 reviews until I update my stories. Well, you've been warned! Don't say I didn't tell you. I hope you guys like this and I really want to know what you think. Is everything all cleared up here? Yeah, I think so. Alright, here we go.  
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Lita- 19  
G-Boys- 20  
  
  
  
Silently, the lone figure walked over the burning desert sand. *Sometimes, Earth sucks,* the figure thought. *I swear, when I find this guy, I'm gonna hurt him really bad,* the bounty hunter thought, while pounding her fist in the palm of her other hand. *This bounty better be worth this.*  
  
As the wind picked up and the sand started to blow around again, the bounty hunter pulled the cloth of her cloak closer towards her eyes. When the cloth did nothing to stop the invading sand, she closed her eyes.  
  
After awhile, the sand subsided and she opened her eyes again. In front of her was a bar like thing.   
  
"Civilization," the girl sighed. Her voice was a bit hoarse from lack of use and she assumed that she would need a bath since she had been walking for awhile now. She pushed the door open and walked inside. Feeling the air conditioning on her sand-scratched face, she sighed. Silently, she thanked the gods that there was inside cooling.  
  
"What'll you have," the bartender asked when she sat down at the bar.  
  
"Doesn't matter," she said, putting some money down on the bar.  
  
"Alright, miss," the bartender said, putting some drink in front of the bounty hunter. "You wanna have someone take your cloak?"  
  
"No," she said, dowing her drink in one gulp. The liquid burned down her throat and filled her limbs with new energy. Soon, two guys sat down on either side of her and one even had the nerve to put his arm around her.  
  
"Hey, baby," the guy said. "How about you and me go somewhere more private?"  
  
"What's your name," she asked, not bothering to look at him.  
  
"Dean Kincade," he said. "Best Mobile Suit pilot on this planet. And who are you, sugar?"  
  
"Just the man I'm looking for," she said, turning towards him and pulling back the hood to her cape. There was a collective gasp from around the room.  
  
"You're....You're...You're...You're...You're," was all the man could say.  
  
"I'm Ryoko," the girl sneered, "and today, you have a date with your maker. Let's step outside, shall we?"  
  
The man started running out of the bar and Ryoko just smiled evilly.  
  
"They always have to do it the hard way," she sighed then gave chase.  
  
When she got outside, the man was no where in sight. She looked around, but pause when she hear something from behind her. Quickly, she spun around and ducked, barely getting out of the way of the flying barrell. She drew her gun and pulled the trigger. The bullett flew true and hit it's mark, right in the man's heart. He was dead the instant the bullet hit. He fell to the ground and Ryoko smiled.  
  
"Another one down," she whispered to herself. "That's another 2,000 this month. Better go call it in."  
  
A few hours later, Ryoko sat back down at the bar and ordered another drink. She could feel everyone staring at her.   
  
"Do you have and open room," Ryoko asked the bartender.  
  
"No, ma'am," the man said, his voice shaking.  
  
"Do you have a jeep or something," she asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's around back, why," questioned the man.  
  
"Here," she said, placing some more money down on the counter. "Hand over the keys."  
  
The man quickly complied and she took the jeep. Driving fast, her brown hair flowed in the breeze. Ryoko shook her head, trying to rid it of all of it's sand. For the first time in a long while, she smiled. Then she let out a whoop of laughter.   
  
(Cairo, Egypt........)  
  
The Arabian blonde around once more. They had heard rumors about the great bounty hunter, Ryoko, being in the area and had to check it out. They were supposed to pay her to work with them for awhile so that she could go after some OZ officals. But so far, the rumors only appeared to be just that. But the bar went stunningly silent when the door slammed open and, in a gust of sand, a tall beautiful woman walked in and sat down at the bar.   
  
Her outfit was very simple. She was wearing a pair of black bicycle shorts, thigh- gun holsters, a low-cut tight fitting dark blue tank top, a brown cape with a hood, and around her belt, a silver sword. She strolled up to the bar, sat down on a stool and ordered herself a drink.  
  
"Is that her," Duo asked, drooling. "Please, tell me that's her."  
  
"I think it is," Quatre said. "Let's go and find out."  
  
Quietly, the five guys strolled up to the bar and stood behind the brunette girl. She didn't bother to turn around, but one hand clasped on of her guns.  
  
"Ryoko," questioned Quatre.  
  
"Yes, and who are you," she asked, turning to face the guys. She gasped and stared at Quatre. He stared back and couldn't think of anything to say.  
  
"Quatre," she questioned almost silently.  
  
"Lita," he asked in the same tone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welp, that's it for now. I couldn't think of anything else to write. Like I said before, I'm not writing anymore until I get 5 REVIEWS!!!! THAT GOES FOR ALL OF MY STORIES!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. AND IF YOU DON'T TAKE ME SERIOUSLY, YOU GET NO MORE STORY!!!!!! SO, LIKE I'VE STATED SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Now you have no excuse not to review. Well, Later Days, Loyal Readers. Review! 


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here's chapter 2. I'm not really sure of what to say in this. So, how about I say nothing? That sound good? Okay, then! On with the story. BTW, I own no one unless I tell you otherwise. And if anyone is OOC {Out of character}, I apologize for that. My fic, my rules, though. I can do whatever I want. Well, there are some things that I can't do, but let's not get into that, ok? Alright, on with this chapter!  
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Quatre peered into her eyes. They were cobalt blue, not the emerald green that he remembered. Still, there was no doubt in his mind that this was Lita.   
  
"Are you the bounty hunter, Ryoko," Heero asked.  
  
"Haven't we been throught this," she asked with a cocky smile. "But if your memory needs to be refreshed, I'll be happy to oblige. Yes, I'm Ryoko. I'm the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy, or so I've been told. And who might you be? Becuase you most certinatly not anyone who'd have bussiness with me."  
  
"Are you so sure, onna," Wufei asked.  
  
"Yeah," she said. "You don't look like the type that would have the need of a bounty hunter. So I suggest that if you don't have a death wish, I suggest that you leave."  
  
"Why you cocky little onna," Wufei said as he pulled his katana. He prepared to swing and chop off Ryoko's {Lita's} hair. But before anyone could do anything, the bounty hunter jumped up, pulled her sword and blocked Wufei's attack. Then, in the blink of an eye, Wufei's katana was stuck in the bar and Ryoko's {Lita's} sword was pressing to his throat.  
  
"What do you want," she growled.  
  
"We've come to hire you," Quatre said calmly.  
  
"What for," Ryoko asked, eyeing him but not releasing Wufei.  
  
"We aren't at liberty to disscuss that with you here," Quatre said. "But if you come with us, we can go to my mansion and we can talk about it there."  
  
"Alright," Ryoko said, sheathing her sword. "But only if he'll be there," she added, winking at Heero who paid her no attention.   
  
(Later at one of Quatre's many mansions, this one is on Earth in Cairo, Egypt............)  
  
"Okay, let me get this straight," Ryoko said, waving her hand. "You are going to pay me to take out some OZ bigwigs?"  
  
"Basically," Quatre said. "Yes."  
  
"You'll get extra if you date me," Duo said excitedly.  
  
"No, you won't," Trowa said.  
  
"Okay, so I get a place to stay, food, and money," Ryoko said, more to herself than to anyone. "I guess that I'll do it. Now, where will I be staying?"  
  
"Here," Duo said.  
  
"Great, when do we start?"  
  
"Next week," was all Heero said before he left for his room.  
  
"So, what's your name," Ryoko asked, turning to Trowa.  
  
"Trowa," he said, leaving the room.   
  
"A man of few words," Ryoko mused. "And you must be the great Duo Maxwell. Am I right?"  
  
"Yeah, baby," he said. "How'd ya know?"  
  
"When you're a bounty hunter, you know things normal people don't," Ryoko said with a smile. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna turn in now. But I think I'll have a bath first. See ya later."  
  
"Lita," Quatre whispered.  
  
(After Lita/Ryoko's bath..........)  
  
"Come in," Ryoko called to the person knocking at the door. "Oh, it's you."  
  
"So you do know me," Quatre said, shutting her bedroom door after he came in.  
  
"Of course," she said bitterly. "I never thought that I'd see you again. But I suppose that never would have been too soon."  
  
"You're still mad at me then," he asked calmly.  
  
"No, really, what gave you that idea," she asked in mock surprise, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Why are you still bitter," he asked. "It's been a long time since---"  
  
"Don't you even bring that up," she said, cutting him off, rising to her feet. "How dare you come in here and dredge up those memories when I've tried for so long to escape them."  
  
"I want to help you," he said, embracing her for the first time in years.  
  
"I want someone to help me," she said, relaxing into his embrace. "I want all of this pain to go away and I want to be loved."  
  
She allowed herself to stay in his embrace for a few more minutes longer. It felt so natural, being in his arms. He still had a full head over her. She felt safe and secure, just like old times. Old times........  
  
"Let go of me," she growled and shrugged out of his embrace. "What are you trying to do, break my heart again? You don't own me, Quatre Raberba Winner. You'll never own me. Even with all of the money in the world. Now get out of my room and never let me catch you in here again because if I do, so help me, I'll kill you."  
  
"Fine," he said, backing away, looking defeated. "I was only trying to help."  
  
"How," she raged, never raising her voice above a normal tone. "By breaking my heart again? Leaving me alone with nothing and no one?"  
  
"I never meant to--" he started.  
  
"Save your crap," she said. "Just get out of here."   
  
Quatre left without another word. Silently, Ryoko crawled up on her bed and pulled her kness up to her chest. She pulled out a faded photograph of a small child, smiling and laughing, with platinum blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Even while the tears ran down her face, Ryoko smiled.   
  
"Claudia," she whispered. Then she once again remembered Quatre and the way he'd hurt her. "Never again, Quatre. You'll never break my heart again."  
  
Ryoko cried herself to sleep that night. She decided that she wouldn't show Quatre that picture. He had no right to see it. Afterall, he hadn't stayed.........  
  
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Okay, that's all for now. I know ya'll want a Heer/ Lita fic, but this isn't going to be one. I'm sorry. But as soon as I can come up with an idea for a Heero/ Lita fic, you can bet I'll write it. I'm NOT going to tell you who the couples are and I'm still debating on weither putting the other scouts in this or not. Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I'll just put one or two of them in here. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Let's take a vote. If you want Mina in this fic, put a 1 in your review. If you want Serena, press 2. Rei will be 3. Ami is 4. The top two who get the most reviews will appear in my story sometime. Who knows, they might even find some romance themselves. But not unless you vote for them! Hey, does anyone know how to use the bold and italics and the other stuff on "Notepad" ? If you do, please tell me, ok? Well, that's all I can think of for now! Later Days, Loyal Readers! 


	3. Chapter 3

Hello. This will be chapter 3, right? Man, I'm losing concentration. Someone keeps putting on the scroll lock and I have no clue what it does, but it bugs me to death. But anywho, how are you peoples liking this story so far? I've made my decision about the inner scouts. I'm not going to tell you, you're just gonna have to find out for yourselves. So, now that everything is outta the wway and you know that I own no one in this story unless I tell you that I do, on with the story!  
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Lita quietly sat down at the piano and pulled back the key-cover. Gently, she ran her slender fingers over the keys, pleased by the shape this piano was in. It was in perfect condition. She started by playing a few simple scales then progressed to playing "Elise" by Mozart. She was so swept up in the music and the beauty of it all that she didn't even notice Quatre standing in the doorway.  
  
"You always played so beautifully," he said dreamily.  
  
"So did you," she said, closing her eyes. "Do you still play violin?"  
  
"Yes," he said calmly. "Do you still sing?"  
  
"Not as much as I would like," she replied sadly. "Play something with me."  
  
"Alright," Quatre said, taking his violin out of the glass case in the corner. "What shall we play?"  
  
"How about 'Greensleeves'," Lita asked. "It was always one of my favorites."  
  
"You start," he said, positioning the violin correctly. They played "Greensleeves" in a perfect duet, him on the violin and her on the piano. For this time, they were at peace with one another. Then the song ended and Lita once again became bitter with him.  
  
"What do you want," she asked, not looking at him.  
  
"Just thought that I'd tell you that the mission has been posponed until next month," he said, putting his violin back.  
  
"Good," she said to herself. "Now I have some free time. You can leave now, you know."  
  
"Why are you so mad at me," he asked.  
  
Lita slammed her fists down on the keyboard. She rose to her feet, sending the piano's bench flying backwards. She turned to him with lightning and murder in her eyes.  
  
"How can you ask me that, Quatre," she asked. "After what happened."  
  
"What happened," he asked, really wanting to know what had her so mad at him.  
  
"You used me," she shrieked. "You said you loved me and then you left. I thought that you were different! But you are just the same! You're the reason for all of my hurt. You and this stupid war. I needed you and you left. You left me with nothing except Cla--"  
  
Lita stopped herself in time. She was about to spill her secret. She had sworn to herself that she would never tell Quatre about what had happened. Even though she'd considered telling him just to break his heart, she decided that she would keep it to herself. It was her pain and her bussiness. Even if he was the fa--  
  
"What were you going to say," he asked calmly. "Go ahead, finish you sentence."  
  
"No," she said in a deadly whisper. "You don't deserve to know."  
  
With that said, she stormed out of the room and out of the house. Quatre sighed. *Why does she keep pushing me away,* he asked himself mentally. *I wish she'd tell me. Hey, what's that?*   
  
From off of the floor, Quatre picked up a faded photograph of a small child and a woman who was Lita at age 18. He smiled, remembering how things used to be back then. He examined the child carefully. She looked so familiar somehow. He turned the photo over and read the print on the back. It read: "Lita and Claudia. Ages: 18 & 1".   
  
"Claudia," Quatre whispered. Somehow, that name rung a bell.  
  
(Flash back, a few years ago........)  
  
"Quatre," a female voice whispered. "Quatre, dear. Are you awake?"  
  
The girl sighed and made to get up, but Quatre pulled her back.  
  
"A where do you think you're going," he asked with a smile.  
  
"I was going to get dressed and go to work, if that's alright with you," she laughed, laying on top of him.  
  
"Why not stay with me today," he asked, playing with her long, brown hair.  
  
"I've missed enough days already," she said, giggling. "What are you thinking about, love?"  
  
"I was thinking about having children," he sighed. "If we were to have a child, I'd want a little girl with eyes just like your's. If she did, she'd be a beautiful little angel."  
  
"We're not ready for children," she said gently.  
  
"But if we were to have a child, what would you name her," he asked.  
  
"Claudia," she replied.  
  
"That's beautiful," Quatre said. "Like a little silver bell. Say it again."  
  
"You're crazy," she said, kissing him. "I have to get to --"  
  
Quatre silenced her with a shower of passionate kisses. She moaned and giggled.   
  
"Maybe I can just call in late," she said, rolling over onto her back.  
  
(End of flashback..........)  
  
"But could this be," Quatre asked himself outloud in confusion. "I need to find Lita."  
  
Quatre ran down the halls and around the huge house looking for Lita. But she was no where inside. That only left one place.  
  
"Outside," he panted. He ran outside and looked around in the fading sunlight. He couldn't think of anywhere that Lita would be. Then he happened to glance up at the setting sun and silouetted against the orange and blood-red sky, standing on the branch of an ancient oak tree, leaning against the trunk, was Lita.   
  
"Lita," he called softly.  
  
"My, you're presistant," she sighed. She climbed down from the tree and stood in front of Quatre. "What do you want?"  
  
"I just wanted to ask you about this photograph," he said, holding it out to her.   
  
"Where did you get that," she asked, snatching it away from him. "Forget that you saw it because I'm not telling you."  
  
She stormed off, leaving Quatre standing there in the growing darkness.  
  
"Lita," he whispered, longing in his voice.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The weeks passed and soon the day that Lita regretted was drawing closer. It was August 12, and that day was growing closer every passing moment. Lita closed herself up in her room and refused to come out at all. The guys, who had gotten to know her, started to get worried. One blonde pilot in particular was worrying so much that he was never paying attention to anything, his thoughts always drifting back to Lita.  
  
On the 15 August, the boys started to get discouraged. They had decided that if Ryoko, as she was still known as by everyone except Quatre, who called her "Lita" in private, didn't come out by noon, they were busting down the door to see what was going on.   
  
At 11:59 sharp, Lita strolled downstairs. But she no longer looked like the proud and beautiful bounty hunter that they had met a few weeks ago. She was wearing a long sleeved old jersey, her hair hadn't been attentended to, and her eyes were puffy and red, as if she had been crying for a long time.  
  
Silently, she sat down at the table, her barefeet padding on the floor. Something about her struck a chord in the pilot's hearts. She'd become almost like one of them and it pained them to see her like this.  
  
She timidly grabbed a biscuit and took a small bite out of it. She talked to no one, her eyes always downcast. She stopped eating all together after two small bites. She just held the biscuit in her hand and stared off into space, seemingly looking at the table. He hands were shaking and they could tell that she hadn't eaten in a while. Suddenly, a single tear ran down hre cheek.  
  
"What's wrong," Duo asked gently.  
  
"Nothing," she said, wiping her eyes on her shirtsleeve. "Nothing's wrong, I've just something in my eye." {Ah, the age-old excuse to cover up your tears. It's a classic!}  
  
"Something's wrong," Trowa said. {Did he just talk? I think he did!}  
  
"It's just the two-year anniversary," Lita mumbled.  
  
"Two year anniversary of what," Quatre asked with great intrest.  
  
"Nothing," Lita said, pulling her legs up into the chair with her, one knee pulled up to her chest and the other crossed under the first. She laid her forehead on her knee and didn't look at the pilots.  
  
"What's this the second anniversary of," Heero asked in his monotone voice.  
  
"It's nothing, ok," she said, slamming a fist down on the table.  
  
"You're lying," Duo said. "Now please, tell us what's wrong. Maybe we can help."  
  
"You can't help me," she said, resting her chin on her knee and looking at Duo. "No one can help me."  
  
"Tell us, and we'll tell you if we can help you," Quatre said.  
  
"I had a baby once," she whispered, looking at no one, putting her forehead back on her knee.  
  
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Wll, that's all for now. How'd ya guys like it so far? Review and tell me what you think. I'm still going to wait for 5 reviews before I update. Go review, shoo- shoo! J/K! Later Days, Loyal Readers. 


	4. Chapter 4

Alright, here's the 4th chapter. Ya'll are liking the story so far and I'm hoping not to lose any of you. My talking probally won't help my cause any, though. Well, here's this chapter! Word to the wise: when you get your eyes dialated, make sure you have sungalsses before you go outside into the sunlight. I had my eyes dialated today and I made the mistake of looking up at the lights, and even that hurts like crap. Thank-you.  
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"What," came the reply of three shocked pilots. Trowa just stared and Heero grunted.  
  
"I had a baby once," Lita repeated, still not looking at them.  
  
"When," Duo asked, climbing back into his chair.   
  
"She'd be five on July 4th," Lita said sadly. "But before we get into that, you have to know what my life was like, how Claudia came to be in this world."  
  
Lita took out her colored contacts and wiped off the few other things that made her face appear different. "My real name is Lita Thorson. I'm the first and only daughter of Damian and Audrian Thorson, the rich french ambassadors."  
  
"But they died in a car crash," Duo said. "And their daughter died with them."  
  
"That's not exactly what happened," Lita said with a sly smile. "And reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated. My parents were killed by a bounty hunter. I narrowly escaped and I had to live with some friends, in fear that the bounty hunter would come back to finish the job. I was never found. I attended social functions through my teen years and then I met a man that would change my life forever."  
  
Here she paused and took a sip of coffee. She let the steam warm her face and slightly smiled. Then she continued.  
  
"He came from a rich family, also. We'd grown up together, somewhat. But it wasn't until I was seventeen that I started to wonder if I had feelings for him and if he had feelings for me."  
  
She paused again, stealing a glance at Quatre. She smiled slyly and he squirmed in his chair. He knew what she was thinking. She was deciding between throwing his name in there or leaving it out. The other pilots thought that she was just remembering a lost love and the times that they had together. She looked at Quatre once more then started her story again.  
  
"It turned out that we shared the same feelings. We started dating and were engaged when I turned eighteen. He wasn't much older than me, just a year. And not long after I turned eighteen, I was going to have a baby.  
  
"This man was fighting in the war. When he was away, I supported him and worried over his health and well-being. But when he was home, I was happy and we were perfect together. We were to be married in that December. But he had to leave to fight in the war. He didn't tell me until the morning that he had to take-off. We had a fight, but I did most of the yelling. He looked so sad, now that I remember it. But I didn't care. I was moody and irrational. We wound up calling off the wedding and I decided then that he had used me and I hated him for that.  
  
"Soon, my child came into this world, beautiful, healthy and fatherless," Lita sighed. "I turned to my friends for their help and support. They happily obliged. Claudia never lacked anything. She had five women who cared for her and one of my friends' boyfriends became the closest thing that she had to a father. I suppose that you would call her spoiled, but she wasn't. She was loved and wanted, she had a family that cared for her, more than I ever had. I swore that I would protect her from all of the hurt and the pain that the world could sling at a defenseless little child. I thought that I would be enough to save her, but I was proved wrong."  
  
(Falshback, a few years ago, on Earth in the country somewhere.....{Lita's still telling the story to the guys, I just thought that I would let you see what happened! Well, sorta.}.....)  
  
Lita climbed out of the driver's side of a van. She opened the back door and helped her little one-year-old child out. Claudia laughed and ran around the yard with her little puppy, her loose curls swaying in the breeze. Lita smiled and started unloading the groceries.   
  
"Claudia," Lita called as she walked up the steps of her mansion that was shared with her closest friends. "Come inside, honey. We need to get you ready so that we can go out tonight."  
  
"Coming, mommy," Claudia called, running towards the steps, the puppy hot on her heels.  
  
"No one is going anywhere," a voice growled. Lita gasped and pulled Claudia behind her.  
  
"Who's there," she demanded.  
  
"Little Lita doesn't reconize me," the voice teased. "Looks like I'll have to refresh your memory."  
  
A cloaked figure stepped out from behind some trees. Lita squinted to try to see the face under the hood. The figure pulled the hood back and Lita gasped. Her arms went slack and the bags of food that she had been holding went tumbling to the ground.  
  
"No," Lita said. "Not you. Not you......"  
  
"Do you remember me now, little Lita," the woman growled. "Or should I tell you my name to refresh your memory. Yes, I think that I will. I am the Moonlight Hunter. You know me as the bounty hunter that killed your parents all of those years ago. Now, I've come to finish the job. You're daughter will bring in a hefty ransom, also."  
  
"Lady Une," Lita whispered, her legs feeling as if they were going to give way. "You killed them? Why?"  
  
"There was a high price on their heads," Lady Une scoffed. "Plus, I had my orders. Your parents were foolish. But you, you could have been a great soldier."  
  
"Why," Lita repeated lamely.   
  
"Because you were engaged to Mr. Treeze," Une stated simply. "We couldn't have that. It would have spoiled our plans. There was only one way to break the engagement. You had to be terminated."  
  
"But your plans didn't work," Lita said smugly. "I escaped and lived on."  
  
"Yes," Une said casually. "That was a drawback, but now that we found you, I can carry out the mission. So, Lita, prepare to die!"  
  
Lady Une drew her sword and came charging towards Lita. Groping around for anythin that she could defend herself with, Lita soon came across a rake with a steel handle. She pulled it up at the last minute and blocked Lady Une's attack.  
  
"Run, Claudia," Lita commanded through gritted teeth. "Go get Darien and the others!"  
  
With a shriek of terror, Claudia started to run, but Lady Une grabbed a fistfull of the child's knee length platinum-blonde curls and jerked her backwards. Claudia screamed in pain and tried to kick Lady Une repeatedly.  
  
"Claudia," Lita screamed, starting to be blinded by rage. "Let her go!"  
  
Before Lady Une had time to respond, Lita broke free of the struggle and brought the rakehandle, which no longer had the rake part to it since Lady Une cut it off, down on Lady Une's head with tremendous strength. Une's grip went slack and Claudia freed her hair and hid behind her mother's legs, gripping them in fear.  
  
Lita walked over to Lady Une and kicked her still body lightly. Gently, she turned the woman over with the tip of her shoe. There was blood seeping out from a cut on the woman's forehead. Lita smiled morbidly.  
  
"Looks like all that fancy fencing you taught me finally payed off," Lita said darkly.  
  
The ground started shaking and Lita looked around for the cause. Five mobile suites, Turaus models, were standing in her yard. Lita grabbed Claudia and her her close in her arms.  
  
"What do you want," Lita shouted up at the mobile suits.   
  
The cockpit to one opened and a man jumped down. He examined Lady Une the pulled his gun and pointed it at Lita. Lita dropped Claudia and shoved her behind her back. She grabbed the rakehandle off of the ground and held it in a fighting pose. The man grabbed Lady Une and put her in his mobile suit. He then resumed pointing the gun at Lita.  
  
"Who are you," she asked vicously through gritted teeth. "What bussiness do you have here?"  
  
"We are Treeze's special forces," the man said evenly. "We've been sent to help Lady Une."  
  
Before the man could say anything else, all five gundams arrived. Claudia screamed in fear and Lita covered her eyes as the dust swept over them.  
  
"The gundams," one of the men piloting the Turaus's shouted. "Hurry, we must leave!"  
  
The man with the gun shot at Lita. Luckily, Lita moved and the bullet missed her heart. It instead lodged itself in her upper arm. The man grabbed Claudia and jumped back into his mobile suit.   
  
"Claudia," Lita screamed, trying to catch the man.   
  
A fight started and Lita was forced to run for cover. One of the mobile suits shot a blast and it destroyed her mansion. Lita took refuge in a temple not far from her home and watched the fight.   
  
In the end, the gundams came out on top. The only enemy mobile suit left was the one with the man and Claudia. One of the gundams, Lita wasn't sure which one was which, she the suit and it exploded instantly. Lita's world fell down around her at that moment.  
  
"Claudia," Lita cried again, tears streaming freely down her face.  
  
(End 'o flash back........)  
  
Tears ran down Lita's face once more. Even the memory of that horrid day still brought tears to her eyes.  
  
"That was two years ago exactly today," she said quietly. "I have only one picture of Claudia left. Here," she pulled the faded picture out from somewhere and handed it to Duo. Each pilot looked at the photograph and then back at Lita.  
  
"What did you do then," Duo asked.  
  
"I became what I am today," Lita said simply. "A ruthless bounty hunter that walks alone. I tracked down Lady Une and I killed her. I gave up on killing the gundam pilots because it finally came through to me that if I did that, there would never be a peaceful world for children to grow-up in safely. But if I still wanted to kill the gubndam pilots, I could do it easily. And them sitting at this table with me doesn't help their odds much either."  
  
She closed her eyes and sipped on some more coffee, staying completly silent. The pilots gasped and there was a scraping of chairs. When Lita opened her eyes, she was staring at the tip of a katana and into the barrels of three guns.  
  
"Weren't you listening to what I was saying," she asked calmly. "I'm not looking to kill you."  
  
"How did you know we were the gundam pilots, onna," Wufei asked, his eyes burning with anger.  
  
"It was simple," Lita said. "When you're a bounty hunter, you know things that other people don't."   
  
"Oh," Duo said, sitting down. "Well, as long as you're not a threat to my health or my braid, you're alright in my book!"  
  
"Thank you, Duo," she said, smiling for the first time in three days. "I have never loved anyone after Claudia's father and I will never have another child. So, now you know who I am and what's wrong with me."  
  
*I'm sorry, Lita,* Quatre thought, on the brink of tears. *I really am. I thought what I did was for the best. This is all my fault.* "Excuse me," the blonde Arabian said, rising from the table. "I'm not feeling well. I'll go lie down for awhile. I'll see you all later."   
  
Lita watched Quatre leave, a slight smirk playing on her lips. She knew that he was hurt and blamed himself for what happened to Claudia. On one hand, she felt good that he was hurting inside and beating himself up over this. *He now knows how you've felt over the years,* the cruel part of her mind said strongly, teasingly. But another part of her felt sad, ashamed and sympathized with him. It kept saying that she shouldn't blame him and that it wasn't his fault. The bounty hunter in her couldn't care either way. That part said to forget him, that all that she needed to focus on was the next bounty. But, the sensitivy caring part reached out to him and pleaded with her to go to him. That part won out in the end. She rose from the table and walked down the hallways. She didn't know where she might find him, but decided to let her feet lead the way.  
  
After walking halfway through the big mansion, she came to a door that was slightly cracked. She heard moving inside and somehow knew that this was his room. She opened the door a little more and peered into the room.  
  
Quatre was sitting on the edge of his bed, his face in his hands. He heard the door creak and thought that it was one of the other guys.  
  
"Go away," he said quietly. "I want to be alone right now."  
  
"Never heard you tell me to go away before," Lita teased. "Can't say that it's not a good change."  
  
"Lita," he said, turning around to face her. Lita winced inside but kept her composure on the outside. His eyes were full of guilt. He looked so miserable.  
  
"What's wrong," she asaked kindly.  
  
"It's my fault," he said, looking down at his hands. "She was my daughter, wasn't she?"  
  
"Yes," Lita said softly. "She was." "I never knew," he said. "You knew before I left, didn't you?"  
  
"Yes," Lita said simply.   
  
"Why didn't you tell me," he asked. "I would have stayed."  
  
"Why," Lita scoffed. "To make you stay? Only weak women do that. They worm their way into men's lives and then make them stay so they can leech off of the poor man for the rest of their lives. I made it alright without a man, save for Darien. Even when he was Serena's boyfriend, he was there for Claudia. I would have liked for you to stay, but you didn't. You left to fight a war and you won peace for this world and the colonies. You're amazing. Leaving me was probally one of the best things you could have done. Now, get over me once more. You have to go on with your life. Don't blame yourself for what happened to Claudia. It wasn't your fault and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it."  
  
"I would have stayed, you know," he said, peering into her eyes. "I was going to come back for you when everything was over and done with. Then we could have had our dreams come true."  
  
"I know," she said, smiling and running her index finger along his jawbone. "But maybe everything turned out the way it was supposed it. Some say that Fate works in mysterious ways, but I don't allow Fate to control me. You know, I really did love you back then."  
  
"I loved you too," he said.  
  
Lita moved closer to him. For one glorious, heart-stopping moment, he thought that she was going to kiss him. But she leaned closer and put her lips to his ear.  
  
"See ya later, sweetheart," she whispered, her lips barely touching his ear. He shivered as her breath blew over his ear. He watched as she walked away, unable to move.  
  
"What was that for," he asked, his breathing just starting to clam down.  
  
"Old time's sake," she said, with a smile and a wink. Then she dissapeared down the hall.  
  
He sighed as she left. When she was that close to him, all of the old feelings that he still harbored for her came rushing back in a tidewave of compassion.  
  
"I still love you, my sweet rose," he whispered. Then he dressed for the night and went to sleep, his dreams full of a beautiful brunette angel who was kind, gentle, caring and strong, who loved him more than she would admit.  
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Okay, I know that took me forever to write, but I';m working on several other stories at the sametime as this one. So, what did you think? REVIEW!  
Later Days, Loyal Readers. 


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, you guys are seeming to like this. I'm not sure how long this chapter is going to be. Maybe it will be short, since I'm having a little bit of trouble typing today. Perhaps I'll make a few short chapters today. Who knows with me... Well, here's chapter five. (I own no one or anyting unless I tell you that I do.) Look for some notes at the end of this chapter,alright?  
  
Characters that I own:  
Claudia  
Claudia's puppy  
  
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Lita looked out over the Arabian desert. She'd been here for about three hours, waiting to meet someone. Who this person was, she didn't know. She'd just gotten a letter in the mail yesterday that said for her to meet someone out here for something important. There was no signature, no finger prints, no return address. The frickin letter had been typed, for cripe's sake! This person obviously didn't want her to know who they were.   
  
Sitting in the jeep that she had gotten from that cheap bartender where she'd killed Dean Kincade, who brought in a small sized bounty afterall of that she went through to get him, she put her ffet up on the steering wheel and laid her head back. As her eyes closed, she pulled on the hood of her cloak so that she wouldn't get sand in her face while she took a quick nap.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A tall masked figure approached the jeep. The girl inside was peacefully sleeping. The figure smiled and pulled back the hood of her cloak. She still looked the same to him, despite all of the things she'd done to alter her appearance. He caressed her cheek lightly and then gently put her hood back on. She moved a little in her sleep.  
  
"Claudia," she whispered. "Quatre........."  
  
Jealousy stabbed at the figure's heart. She loved Quatre, even after what had happened. The figure scoffed, swearing revenge on the rich little snot named Quatre. He laid an envelope in her open hand and pressed down on it. In reflex, Lita's hand closed over the envelope. The figure removed his mask slightly and kissed her cheek.  
  
"Quatre," she whispered again. "Don't leave me.....I love you....."  
  
The figure was outraged. He put his mask back on and climbed into his jeep. With one more look at the sleeping beauty that he adored, he sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sputtering, Lita sat up. She coughed and spit out the sand that had blown into her mouth.   
  
"Stupid sand storms," she growled. The she noticed something in her closed hand. "What in the hell," she mumbled.   
  
Quickly, she ripped open the envelope and took out the neatly folded letter. She read it outloud to herself.  
  
Dearest Lita, (the letter read.)  
  
So, you've decided to go back to Quatre, huh? What about all of the heart ache that he caused you? Are you just going to throw all of that away and run back into his arms?  
  
Well, that's not what I came here to talk to you about. I know about, your daughter, Lita. I know that her name is Claudia. I know that she has platinum blonde hair that looks just like her father's. I know that it's softer than silk. I know that she has your eyes. And they are filled with such innoence that it will make your heart skip a beat just to look into them. She looks just like you. Both of you are angels sent to bless this world and people's lifes......  
  
I'm not going to tell you who I am and how I know about you and Claudia and her father. All of that will come in due time. What you have to know is that I will be watching you. If you want to see Claudia once again, await my next instructions. Soon, you will see that all that happened in your life will have been for the best. Take care, Little One.  
  
  
The letter was not signed, and this only served to confuse Lita even more. Who in the world had pulled this stunt. And bringing Claudia in on it..... What did they mean about her seeing Claudia again? Claudia was dead..... *Sure, it would be nice to believe that Claudia is alive somewhere,* Lita thought to herself.  
  
"Sickos," she growled and turned on the jeep, not even paying attention as it roared into life and tore across the desert sand. The whole way back to Quatre's mansion she thought about how she'd track down this pervert and gut them like a fish.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lita stormed into the mansion and threw the jeep keys onto a hall table, not caring if they made it to the table or not.  
  
She stormed into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of red wine the butler offered her. She sank down onto a stool, placed the wine on the table, and buried her face in her arms. Even though she didn't make a noise, the tears silently flowed, just slightly.  
  
She sat up, wiped her eyes, and started sipping her wine. The liquid was cool, sweet and slid down her throat deliciously. She savored the taste of it, the feel of it runinng down her throat gently.   
  
After she finished off the glass, and refusing another from the butler, she left the kitchen and found herself in the garden. She stared at the roses, admiring their beauty, but not really seeing them at all. She was in a daze and didn't care to shake herself from it.  
  
"Admiring the roses," a voice behind her asked.  
  
"Yes," she answered. "Have you been stalking me Quatre?"  
  
"No, I was just coming out here to look over the gardens," Quatre said in his calm way. "I love roses. They always remind me of a special angel that seems to always be in my heart.  
  
"Hmm," Lita sighed, drinking in the heady scent of the roses. She was so caught up in their beauty that she didn't even mind when Quatre sat down beside her.  
  
"Something troubling you," he asked, looking at her while she stared at the roses, totally inthralled.  
  
"Not really," she lied easily. She bestowed a gentle smile on him. Her heart fluttured as he smiled back.  
  
"Good," he said.  
  
Feeling all of those emotions, the ones for him that she wanted to keep locked up inside, resurfacing, she got up and walked off. She had been trying so hard to keep them inside. *But do you really want them to stay inside,* a voice asked her silently. *Of course,* she hissed to herself. *I've had enough of men to last me a lifetime or three. I don't need them for anything, nor do I want them.* The voice chuckled at Lita's childishness. *Are you so sure about that,* the voice quizzed. *Everytime he's near you, you want him. What not just give in? You know you want him.......*  
  
Tears starting to flow, Lita turned back to Quatre. She knew that the voice was right, oh so right! How couldn't it be right? It was just her inner desires in voice. She couldn't deny it.  
  
"Quatre," she cried. In a very child-like manner, she ran to him and flung herself into his arms. "I love you still. That's my constant torment. Even when I hate you, I love you so much it hurts."  
  
"Oh, Lita," he crooned. "I've always loved you and I always will. No matter what, I'll always love you."  
  
"I'm so foolish," she cried, clinging to him as if he'd just dissapear at any moment. "I'm so stupid......"  
  
"No," he coaxed. "You're not stupid. You're the loveliest, most beautiful girl that I've ever met. I'll love you until the end of time. I know that when you push me away, you don't really mean it."  
  
"I don't mean it," she cried. "I just can't cope anymore. You're my rock, Quatre, and I push you away. When I do that, it kills me inside. Please, forgive me."  
  
"Always, love," he sighed, kissing the top of her head lightly. "God, I love you so much....."  
  
She looked up into his blue eyes. Smiling, she knew that this was right. She kissed him then and there, not caring who saw her. Her, Ryoko, the heartless bounty hunter, kissed Quatre with so much passion that his face turned bright crimson and threatned to stay that color.  
  
As they walked back inside, hand in hand, Lita heard someone come running up behind them. Out of reflex, she put her hand on the handle of her handgun and turned around. Turned around, that is, just in time to catch a small girl with pink hair, who screamed at the top of her lungs "ANUTIE LITA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and hugged Lita's neck so hard that her breath was nearly cut off.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Okay, that's enough for now. I'm sorry if this stunk on ice, but I just kind of jumped the gun. I wasn't planning on putting Lita and Quatre together so soon....... Oh well, what's done is done. Okay now on to more important matters. I'm trying to finish the first chapter of my Heero/Lita fic. As you know, I already have a Trowa/Lita fic, and this one is going to be a Quatre/Lita fic, I guess. I might change that later, might not. I'm also working on a Duo/Lita fic. So, who thinks that I should write a Wufei/Lita fic. I've decided that he might be worth enough for the fair Lita-chan. How about we vote for it? If you want a Wufei/Lita let me know in your reviews. If you don't, let me know about that too. I was talking to a fellow author and she pointed something important out to me. You wanna know what that was? Serena is the only SM girl that looks great with all of the gundam pilots. That makes me a bit mad, since Lita is my favorite of all of them. You should read that author's works she's pretty good. Two of her stories are on my "Favorite Stories" list. Check them out. They're "For the Love of my Pirate" and "Forever My Love". I totally loved them. Well, I'm done talking now and you guys are probally thinking, "Oh, thank god, the torment is over!" Review! Later Days, Loyal Readers. 


	6. Chapter 6

Hello. I'm gonna try to kepp this short. I own no one unless I tell you so. I own Claudia and her little puppy. But that's it. So, on with this chapter, at long last.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Rini," Lita choked out. "Is that you?"  
  
"Auntie Lita," the small child squeeled in happiness. "You remember me! I didn't think you would remember me!"  
  
"How could I forget my favorite little niece," Lita said with a laugh, cradling the two-year-old child in her arms. "Where's your mother?"  
  
"Hello, dearest sister-in-law," came the masculain voice from behind her.   
  
"Hello Darien," Lita said with a chuckle. "Where is my favorite sister?"  
  
"You mean your only sister," said the small woman beside Darien.  
  
"Sister dear," Lita said with a smile and a giggle. They embraced, Lita still holding Rini, Serena and Darien's child. "It's been a long time."  
  
"Too long, if you ask me," Serena said with her gentle smile.   
  
"Are the others here," Lita asked, looking around.  
  
But before Serena could answer, another blonde came flying towards them and flung her arms around Quatre's neck, hugging him close.  
  
"QUATRE," the blonde screamed excitedly. "It's been too long! You never write or call! Is that any way to treat your older sister?"  
  
"Mina," he said with a sigh, returning her hug. "I'm sorry about that. But you know with the whole war thing and all."  
  
"It's alright," she said, kissing his cheek in a sisterly manner. "My little brother, the gundam pilot. Who would have ever guessed!"  
  
"Mina," he said, blushing.  
  
"It seems like only yesterday that you were running around the house in you're little bunny pajamas with the feet," she said, batting her eyes at him.  
  
"Mina," he exclaimed, his blush spreading and getting darker every moment.  
  
"What are you complaining about," she asked, rolling her eyes. "It's not like anyone here really cares."  
  
"Lita," he whispered, gesturing towards the brunette subtly.  
  
"LITA," Mina wailed, tears running down her face. "I've missed you ever so much. After that horrible accident, we barely heard anything from you. We were so worried!"  
  
"I know," Lita said, hugging her best friend. "I am so sorry. I should have written or something. Why are you guys here?"  
  
"I could ask you the same thing," Serena said with a chuckle.  
  
"I've got a job to do," Lita said grimly.  
  
Serena nodded knowingly with a kind smile. Even when no one did, she understood Lita. As sisters, they had always been close. They were not only sisters, but best friends. They had always understood one another and used to know exactly what the other was thinking. But since Claudia.....well, they had grown apart after that, even though it still hurt both girls to think that they no longer had that special bond.  
  
Lita looked at her little sister. Only a year seperated them in age. Serena had found a good man in Darien and Rini was a beautiful child. Her sister was blessed. And all Lita's life had ever given her was a few great people who filled her heart and then something happened to take them. Her parnets, Quatre, and her dear, sweet angel Claudia......  
  
"Earth to Auntie Lita," Rini said, snapping Lita out of her thoughts of revenge on the fates. Rini waved her small hand in front of Lita's face impatiently. "Come in, Anutie Lita!"  
  
"I'm sorry dear," Lita said with an apologetic smile. "Can you repeat what you just said?"  
  
"I wanted to know if I may have a cookie," Rini said impatiently.  
  
Lita chuckled at her small niece's impatience.  
  
"I'm sorry, dear, but I haven't made any cookies," Lita said. "I didn't know that you guys were coming. Say, where's Ami and Rei?"  
  
"They're still getting the stuff out of the limos," Mina said.  
  
"Oh, ok," Lita said, shifting Rini onto her hip. "I've got an idea, pumpkin."  
  
"What is it," Rini asked, her small face shining in excitment.  
  
"How about we go make some cookies," Lita asked.  
  
"That's a good idea," Rini and Serena said at the same time, both overly excited.  
  
Rini and Serena ran inside, both dragging Lita behind them by her hand. Darien sighed, smiled and followed them. Quatre and Mina stood alone after they left, both smiling at the child-like   
innonce displayed by Serena and Lita.  
  
"When did she come back to you," Mina asked.  
  
"Do you mean came to be here or came back to me emotionly," questioned Quatre, staring into his sister's blue eyes.  
  
"Emotionly," Mina sighed.   
  
"Not long ago," he said sadly. "Just before Rini came."  
  
"Why do you seemed so depressed, then," Mina asked, touching his cheek gently.  
  
"I just don't want to hurt her again," Quatre admitted. "I love her too much to see that again."  
  
"Hmm," Mina said. "She's a lucky girl. I only wish that I had someone to care for me. Maybe someday soon I'll find my Mr. Right."  
  
"You will," Quatre said with convection. "I know you will."  
  
"Let's go inside," she said, running ahead of him.  
  
  
When Quatre reached the kitchen, he was met with an familiar scene. Lita was mixing her homemade cookie dough in a big bowl, Serena kept trying to eat the choclate chips, Rini was playing with the cookie cutters, Mina was sneaking choclate chips and handing some to Serena every now and then, and they were all having a cheerful conversation.  
  
Smiling, Quatre sat on a stool in front of Lita. She flashed him one of her rare loving smiles and went back to her cookies. Placing the bowl down, she pulled the thrid batch of twelve cookies out of the oven and sat them on the rack on the counter to cool.  
  
"Here," she said, offering Quatre a cookie shaped perfectly like an angel.  
  
"It looks delicious," he said, taking it from her. He bit into it and rejoyced in it's fablous taste. "It's wonderful. You're such a good cook."  
  
"Why, thank you," she said, striking a pose and winking at him.  
  
"So, are you two together or what," Mina asked through a mouthful of cookie.  
  
"I'm not sure," Lita said, glancing at Quatre, giving the others a secretive smile. "Why don't we just wait and see how things play out, hmm?"  
  
"Oh, you're no fun," Serena whined.  
  
"Thanks for all of the help," came an irritated voice from the doorway.  
  
"Rei," Lita cried, running around the counter to hug her raven-haired friend. "My gosh, it's been forever!"  
  
"How have you been, Lits," Rei asked, embracing the brunette covered in flour and cookie dough.  
  
"Just peachy keen," Lita said, not wanting to worry her friends.  
  
"Hello Lita," said the quiet voice from behind Rei.  
  
"Hey, Ami," Lita said, hugging the quiet girl. "How have things been?"  
  
"It's been alright," Ami said.  
  
"I can't take much more of this," Serena wailed from her stool.  
  
"What's wrong, Serena," Darien asked, rushing over to attend to her needs.  
  
"It's just so great to see Lita again, I can't help but cry," Serena said, wiping her tear-stained face on a cloth.  
  
"I know," came the reply from the other four girls, tears starting to run down their faces as well.  
  
"Another crying fest," Duo asked from the door. "Who said what this time?"  
  
He walked into the kitchen, not noticing anything out of the ordinary at first, making a bee-line straight for the cookies on the counter. Mina cracked his hand with her wooden spoon when he reached for one.  
  
"They're hot," she scolded.  
  
"Hello, beautiful," he said smoothly when he got a good look at her face. "Where'd you come from?"  
  
"None of your bussiness, cutie," Mina said in her flirty way. "I'm here to see Quatre."  
  
"Are the other girls here to see him also," he asked, eyeing Serena, Rei and Ami with intrest.  
  
"You bet ya," Rei said, smiling.  
  
"Aww, that's not fair," Duo whined. "Quatre gets FIVE HOT girls and I don't!"  
  
"Rei and Mina are my older sisters," Quatre explained, pointing each girl out. "Serena is Lita's siter, and is married to Darien. Rini is their daughter. Ami is their cousin. So, you see, I don't get any of them."  
  
"Great," Duo said, throwing his arm around Mina's waist. "How about we got out later, babe?"  
  
"You know it," she said, winking at him.   
  
"Alright," he said, pumping the air with his fist, "I've got a date!"  
  
"So, Ami," Lita said, drying her tears on her apron. "Whatever happened to that one nice guy that you were seeing?"  
  
"Who, Tai," she asked. "He was boring after awhile, so I just broke it off. Plus I wanted to have children and get my education and he just wanted......nevermind, you get the picture. Wouldn't want to say anything about that around Rini."  
  
"Oh, too bad," said Lita thoughtfully. "He was nice."  
  
"Oh yeah," Rei scoffed. "He was real nice when he was inviting me to share his bed. When he was engaged to Ami."  
  
"What a jerk," Lita roared. "No one does that to my cousin and gets away with it. Why, when I find him, I'm going to cut off his--"  
  
"Not in front of Rini," Serena scolded, covering both of Rini's ears.  
  
"But I want to hear what she's going to do to the bad man," Rini whined. "Is she going to cut his fuckin' balls off?"  
  
"RINI," came the astonished reply of her parents, Ami, Rei, Lita, Mina and Quatre.  
  
"What," Rini asked, not knowing what she'd done wrong.  
  
"Where did you hear that from," Serena asked.  
  
"From you," she said innoenctly.  
  
"When did I say that," Serena asked.  
  
"When Uncle Quatre went bye-bye," she said matter-of-factly.   
  
"Oh, yeah, I did say that didn't I," Serena said shyly. "I'm sorry, Quatre. I was just upset and overreacting. Forgive me?"  
  
"Of course," he said smiling. "I understand comletly. No hard feelings."  
  
"Great," Serena said, beaming at him.   
  
The girls brought so much laughter and joy into the house that it seemed that the house was alive with their voices. They were having a fun time, just like the good old days that Lita remembered. She smiled as she looked around at her friends and wondered how it was that she was blessed to have such wonderful people in her life.  
  
Soon, the other guys wondered into the kitchen to see what the whole idea was. They were surprised by the sudden change in Lita. They had never seen her laugh like that, never seen her face light up in that way.  
  
"Who are the guys," Rei asked with honest curiousity.  
  
"Oh, this is Wufei Chang, Trowa Barton, and the one in the corner over there is Heero Yuy," Lita said pointing to each man in turn. "They're the ones who hired me and they also happen to be the gundam pilots."  
  
"No way," Mina said, smiling broadly. "You're pulling a collective leg here, aren't you?"  
  
"Nope," Lita said, turning to wash the flour off of her hands. "Well, I think that I'm going to turn in for the night. I didn't realize that it was so late!"  
  
"Alright," Serena chirped. "Good night, Lita!"  
  
"Night, Jupiter," the others said. Lita smiled and walked out of the kitchen, the only thing on her mind was her nice, soft bed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lita brushed her choclate hair tiredly. She had forgotten how much energy she had used hanging out with the girls. Without bothering to wash the flour off of her face, she slipped into her bed and prayed for sleep to come soon.  
  
After tossing and turning for two hours straight, Lita sighed and kicked the covers off of her. Even though the night breeze were gentle and cool, she still felt scorching hot. Leaping out of the bed, she slipped on her emerald green slippers and pulled on her thin silk emerald green robe.  
  
The halls were silent as Lita walked through them. She walked past Quatre's door on tiptoes, hoping to be as quiet as possible, hoping not to wake him. But nevertheless, the door opened and there stood Quatre.  
  
"Did I wake you," she asked.  
  
"No, I was awake anyway," he said, staring at her. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I was going to get some water," she answered, crossing her arms over her bosom in a protective manner.  
  
"Oh, ok," he said.  
  
"Quatre," Lita said. Slowly, as if in a trance, she walked towards him.  
  
She shuddered as he slipped his arms around her, drawing her up against him. Looking up, she saw something in his eyes. It was the same thing that she'd seen everytime that they'd....... It made her feel good to see that again.   
  
Gently at first, but then with more ardor, he kissed her. She could feel his hands burning through the flimsy silk of her small night dress and her silky robe.  
  
"Quatre," she moaned.  
  
"Ssh, dearest," he whispered in her ear. "Not here. In my room."  
  
He guided her into his room and shut and locked the door.  
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Okay, that's it for now. I know, it was stupid, but I'm trying to get over this frickin writer's block. EVERYTIME I WRITE A STORY THIS CRAP HAPPENES!!!!!!! Why me? Oh well, I'm getting over it and hopefully, there will be more soon. There's just not enough time in the day anymore. Well, Later Days, Loyal Readers. REVIEW! 


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, I kind of feel like this is winding down. Does anyone else feel like that? Well, I'm hoping to make this a little longer, but if things don't turn out that way, it's alright. Anyone guessed who did what yet? Maybe not, because you don't have enough info. This chapter might be short or it might not. It all depends on how it turns out. BTW, This is Chapter 7.  
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Lita opened her eyes and was staring into the deep blue pools that were Quatre's eyes. She just stared into his eyes for a moment, taking in all of their splendor. Then she smiled and buried her face in his semi-muscular chest. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and kissed the top of her head.  
  
"Hey there," she said.   
  
"Hey," he smiled, kissing her head again. "I hope you don't have any regrets about last night."  
  
"No way on Earth," she said, turning him over onto his back. That soon started a repeat of last night for the two young lovers.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lita was sitting at breakfast, stealing glances at Quatre secretly. But when he would catch her looking, he's smile lovingly and she'd lower her eyes coyly.  
  
"This is as good as I remember," Serena squealed, forking her fourteenth waff;e and putting it onto her plate, smothering it with homemade rich maple syrup.  
  
"Lita, you're such a great cook," Mina said excitedly.  
  
"Why, thank you," Lita said happily.  
  
"I'm going to get the mail," Heero said, tired of watching all of this merriment.  
  
"I'll come with you," Mina said, jumping up and following him out the door.  
  
"Well, I need to go for a walk to burn these calories off," Serena said. "Come on, Rini. Darien, are you coming?"  
  
"Yeah," Darien said, getting up and following the two women who lit up his life out the door.  
  
"I think that a nice nap is in order," Duo said, stretching and yawning.  
  
"Good nap, Duo," Lita said, waving to him cherfully.  
  
Trowa quietly got up from the table and walked towards the foyer.  
  
"Helllo, Trowa,"Ami said as she passed him. "I was just coming to look for you. Do you think that you could possibly help me with translating this book?"  
  
"Sure," Trowa said.  
  
The two walked towards the library, Ami still holding the book.  
  
Wufei quickly excused himself from the table and went to practice with his katana.  
  
Rei got up to do the dishes as planned.  
  
At that moment, Lita's little pager-like thing started beeping.  
  
"Hello," she said, turning on the little video screen but only getting the picture of a man, his face shrowded in shadows.  
  
"Is this the bounty hunter, Ryoko," the man asked, his voice clearly disguised by some sort of voice scrambler.  
  
"Yes, but if you're trying to hire me, I must tell you-" Lita started to say.  
  
"I'm not looking to hire you," the man said, butting in. "I have some information for you."  
  
"About what," Lita asked suspiciously.  
  
"About your little Claudia, Lita," the man said. "She's still alive."  
  
"What kind of sick joke is this," Lita yelled. "Who the hell are you?!"  
  
"You'll find out soon enough," the man said. "Your little Claudia has been alive for sometime. She's just chyrogenically frozen. We can unfreeze her. But you have to do something for us."  
  
"How do I know that you're not just making this up," Lita yelled.  
  
The screen shifted pictures and was now showing a picture of none other that Claudia.  
  
"Oh my god," Lita gasped, tears forming in her eyes. "My baby. My little baby."  
  
The picture faded and now showed the same man as before.  
  
"You want her back, don't you," the man asked.  
  
"Yes," Lita sobbed. "I'll do anything."  
  
"You'll be sent a set of instructions," the man said. "Follow them and when you arrive here, you'll find out what you must do. Good-bye."  
  
The screen went blank, leaving Lita sobbing, tears moistening her pale cheeks.  
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Well, that's it for chapter 8. I hope that it was worth the wait. The story will be ending soon, but not without some action and stuff of that sort. Want to know who the shadow man is? If so, keep reading and then you'll find out! Later Days, Loyal Readers! REVIEW! 


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